Decantation apparatus and method



Jan. 29, 1935. J, zo N E 1,989,503

DECANTATION APPARATUS AND METHOD Filed June 2, 1932 4/ 24 a 40 gi ATTORNEY' Patented Jan. 29, 1935 PAT-EN T; OFFICE I 1,989,503 I a a DECANTATION APPARATU Si AND METHOD JohnZollinger, Oakhurst, N. J. Application June 2, 1932, Serial No. 614,968

14 Claims.

This invention relates to decantation apparatus and methods.

One object of this invention is to provide a device for the continuous separation of a finely T divided solid from a liquid together with the removal of undesirable light constituents of the liquid, the device having improved means for expelling or draining liquid from the solids removed from the liquid by compression or compacting of the solids as removed. 7

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved method of decantation, wherein a portion of a mass of settledsolid is removed from along said mass and the removed portion 1 constantly moved upwardly out of the liquid while subjected to a suitable or its own weight for compressing the liquid out of the mass portion so elevated,.and additional solids being continuously added to the bottom of the upward moving portion preferably so as to urge the latter upward,

as in a scooping action.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved apparatus and method utilizingscoop elements ,such that, not only is the machine as a whole continuous in operation, but each individual scoop element is also continuous in operation.

Another object ofv the invention is the provision of a decantation apparatus whereby the foregoing method can be advantageously prac-,

tised, and which apparatus shall be relatively simple in construction, easy and convenient in operation, reliable and eficient in s Other objects andadvantages of the invention to a high degree will become apparent as the specification proceeds. a I I With the aforesaid objects in view, the invention consists in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in their preferred embodiments, pointed out in the.

lined are best realized when all of its features and instrumentalities are combined in one and the'same structure, but, useful devices maybe produced embodying less than the whole.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, that the same may be incorporated in several different con- 5 structions. 5 The accompanying drawing/there fore, is submitted merely as showing the preferred exemplification of the'invention.

Generally described, this invention-provides an apparatus and method of decantation which depends not solely upon drainage-for separation of the solids from the liquid, but wherein the primary principle is that scoop means are employed moving along a mass of settled solids within a liquid and causing a continuous upward movement of the solids along the scoop means. This movement is possible because of the resistance of the settled solid mass at the lower end of the scoope means, creating an upward force along;

the latter whereby a movement under pressure is effected. More particularly, the solids moving along the scoop are subject directly to their own weight plus the frictional resistance of the movement. In this'manner the solids areelevated,

preferably continuously, out of the liquid, and

the liquid is simultaneously expressed; from the" scooped-.mass both above and below the level of the liquid that is being decanted. -The angle of the scoop bears a definite relation, since'it must be such as to substantially meet the angle of repose of the scooped mass, and may be either greater or less, depending upon numerous factors," among which may be mentioned the size and specific gravity of the solid particles, the speed at which the decantation occurs, the degree to which the water is to be removed from the solids, as influenced by pressure and hence frictional resistance, 'the'degree tofwhich reliance is placed an ordinary drainage and the time therefor, and other'like factors. As is well known the angle of 1 40 repose is different for different materials, and will naturally. be 'afiectedby thedegree of wetness of the solids At the point where. the solids are, removed from the scooped means, the latter may havea unitary or independentmeans that may be so inclinedas to direct any drainage away, from the direction of removal. My invention providescontinuous decantation with a slight agitation for releasingimpurities of the solids. An especial feature of the invention isthatnot only is the m'achine continuous/but each scoop element is also continuous in operation, affordingisu'perior 'decantation'. The inlet may be ark ranged so as not to disturbthe settled solids, and.

the liquid may be withdrawn at a 'point been 551 v 1 h iz s t. is. ana ema ee great as 9 the upper part of the scoop means. A primary feature of the principle of operation of the invention is that the drainage is so taken care of as not to affect the solids that are being removed.

The invention may be used for discarding any undesired solids whether the same be light or heavy; for example, loam or clay.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 10 denotes a. device embodying the invention. The same may include a settlingcompartment of any suitable form or character, preferably round, and having a side Wall 11 that may taper downward slightly. The bottom wall 12 may be arranged at any desired angle but is preferably horizontal. The compartment may have suitable bottonf 'ahd side wall bracing 13, 14. The top of the compartment may be simply open as shown.

Disposed in the compartment i's'a; suitable rotor 15 which may have an upright axis that is preferably vertical. This rotor may be mou'iitedand d i n i any .f as b e manner a by ll'efi 6 i d i be rin s l8 earned b a tram Supported; qr'eremple p t e b ac s 1 A ea zqi 'be est mat to a shaft nd retated by a pinionc2l mounted on a shaft 22 to hich areas h was es om ny sui ab source.

The rotor l5 may include a hub portion 23 to which may be secured a cross frame 24; connected to th e shaft 16. Said rotor may be madeof cast or sheet metal and may form a unitarystructure thatrn ay be rotated clockwise as shown;

'I 'he rotor 12 may include an upper wall or near 25 which may be round or' of other suitable form anapiererab y spaced from the wall of the cham er; Said wall ispreferably downwardly co'n'aved toward the centerof the rotor," and the angle 'of thebohc'avit'y may. be so'aegr e's with the horizo'ntaljbut 'the' angle may also be greater or less, at 45 degrees oars degrees. 'S aid wall may be connected to the hub 23' at any suitable pbintfpre'f'erably at 26in eeped relationto'the u'p'p'er' fid or the hubfw h p usior a inner flange 2 7 for wall.

"- E itendingun downward relation are one or me are; ae ate S des r path; preferably circularly, as by being made a par-tot the rotor '15." ne xammejsix scoop ele i m may. e. aiqi 'dee 'e ue il' eed are? larlyandconnected to the wall 25 that may have correspondingopenhig's '29 communicating there: was n de e ersaaje ma a a t s ate we. a e w h. mas an rinf ta h y maybe elong ed, nthq r 1i; rectibn of travel atan angleof 3o, degrees tothe degrees and as small as 15 degrees. Generally, the angle will depend upon th'e angle of repose of v the solid materials that are being removed, and may be equal, greater or less than thesarne.

If'the angle is less than the. angle of repose, the

solids will be easily elevated; if the angle be greatenthe frictional resistance in the movement of the solids along the "scoop elements will be increased, andthe'particles of the solids on the not be muchfgreater than the angle "of" repose i oael'mehs errovid ii ere eiil the soiie' mass'in thejscoopele'rhents. The anglemay SQ Pe J'Q nf l fi he pe d, o j sl otor; ut. i vesiv tr.elavlrf 'e eia eri ral te nage thereon and permitting the use of an angle substantially larger than the angle of repose. The bottom edges or blade portions of the scoop elements aresiiitably spaced above the floor of the compartment to permit the building up of a suitablem'ass of settled solids. The side walls 30,31'may be correspondingly spaced from the hub 23 and side wall 11 of the compartment resp'ectively to afford a substantial settling space.

Th we l 2.5 ma i clude po o s ndi around the scoop elements, such as inner and outer peripheral portions 32, 33 and intermediate sections 34, all of which may be made of sufiiciently large area, and also surround the opening 292 It will now, be seen that the scoop elements communicate with the sections 34 at 35 and with adjacent portions of the circular zones 32, 33, particularly the outer circular zone, for discharging solids thereon.

For removing solids from the, upper portions of the scoop elements or the wall 25, suitable stripper means may be provided, which, in a simplified form, may consist merely in a plate 36 that extends in an upright position closely along the wall 25, at an angle to a radial line of the rotor. This stripper plate may be curved as shown, in the mannerof a cam, and maybe stationary, being connected at one end at 3 7 to the settling compartment, and its other'end 38-being in Wiping contact with the flange'2'7- of the rotor hub. Disposed-radially beyond the stripper plate is a 'dis'cha'r'gemeans such' as a downwardly inclined chute or plate 39 connected to the settling compartment;

Connected 'to the settling compartment is an inlet means 40 which communicates with said the compartment 'at a low velocity. For draining liquid'fronfi the settling compartment, an outlet means 41 may be'p'r'ovidedso arranged as to maintain a liquid level 42 in the compartment below the level of said wall or the upper portions of the s'coopeleinen't.

The operation of thedevice will now be briefly described. The incoming material is distributed over alarge space in'th'e settling compartment, without disturbing the settling action. Settling may thus occur within the hub'23, and all around the scoop elements. While. the settling occurs,

the rotorturns, providingagentle.agitation to.

reach the upper portions ofthe sco opQelernents they maymbe rempved, or may pileup. o nthe. ,w'all" aiPrma ea fifi ns-Jase.

515 i vei 'tli e bm wme:

1,689,563" 3 charged at 39. Whilethisis occurring the solids are compressed under their own weight due to frictional resistance both below the water level and above the same. solids are maintained with upper or'other large free surfaces. When the solids reach the wall 25, draining may also occur along said wall toto'liquid removal over a relatively long period of time, and while several revolutions of the rotor occur. Not only is the machine as a whole continuous but each individual scoop element is continuous in its action. Therefore superior decantatio-n is obtained. The invention may be used for the separation and washing of sand or ores, and other solids, and for classification.

It will be appreciated that various changes and modifications may be made in the device as shown in the drawing, and that the same is submitted in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense, the scope of the invention being defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. Decantation apparatus including a settling compartment, means for feeding into said compartment a liquid containing solids to be separated therefrom, means above the bottom of said compartment for draining liquid therefrom, means in the compartment for removing the settled solids therefrom including an inclined scoop member, means for substantially constantly operatively moving said member along the settled solids with a lower portion of the member extending below the upper level of the'solids, the inclination of said member relative to a horizontal plane being such that the solids are caused to move up on the member to the upper portion thereof and to be compressed to expel liquids therefrom due to the resistance and angle of repose of the solids and the angle of the scoop member, the upper portion of said member being above said liquid level, and means for removing the solids from the upper portion of said member.

2. Decantation apparatus including a settling compartment, means including a plurality of scoop elements successively movable along said compartment, said elements being elongated at an angle of less than approximately 45 degrees with a horizontal plane such that the settled solids are caused to move upward along said ele ments and are simultaneouslycompressed to expel liquids therefrom, means stationary relatively to the elements for removing the solids from the upper portions of said elements as a result of the movement thereof, and means for draining the liquid from said compartment so as to maintain a liquid level below the removing means.

3. Decantation apparatus including a settling compartment, a rotor therein having an upright axis and a plurality of angularly spaced scoop elements, each of said elements being disposed at such an angle with the horizontal as to cause the settled solids to move upward along said elements due to movement of the latter and to simultaneously cause expression of liquids in the solids, a stripper means for removing from the successive elements the solids accumulated at the upper portions thereof, inlet means for a mate- During operations the vided in the casing at a side of the rotor and below the toptliereof, and outlet means for liquid in the compartment, saidoutlet means being so arranged as to maintain a liquid level below the upper portions of said elements.

4. Decantation apparatus including a settling compartment having a substantially horizontal bottom, a rotor in the compartment having a substantially vertical axis, saidrotor having a plurality of angularly spaced scoop elements, each of said elements being elongated along the path of movement thereof and at such an angle with a horizontal plane as to cause the solids to be pressed upward along the elements to the upper portions thereof, the lower portions of said elements being spaced from said bottom to afford settling space, means for maintaining the liquid level, in the compartment below said upper portions, and means for stripping the solids from said upper portions of the elements.

5. Decantation apparatus including a settling compartment, a rotor therein having a plurality of angularly spaced scoops elongated in the direction of travel thereof, each of said scoops being inclined at an angle such that the settled solids are caused to move upward thereon to the upper portions of the scoops and to be simultaneously compressed to expel liquids therefrom, a floor member extending along the upper portions of the scoops and communicating therewith to' ceive solids therefrom, means for stripping solids from said floor member, and means for maintaining a liquid level in the compartment below the fioor member.

6. Decantation apparatus including a settling compartment, a rotor'therein including a plurality of angularly spaced scoops each of which is inclined at a small acute angle with the horizontal plane such that the settled solids are caused to be compressively moved up along said scoops, means overlying the scoops and being downwardly concaved toward the center of the rotor, said means communicating for receiving settled solids from the scoops, means for stripping settled solids from the communicating means, and means for maintaining a liquid level in the compartment below said communicating means.

7. A method of decanting solids from a liquid having a mass of settled solids therein, including continuously upwardly separating from said mass, along an inclined path substantially parallel to the surface of said mass, a body of the solids while maintaining the body in contact with said mass, including adding solids from said mass to the body at a low portion of the latter so as to cause upward movement of the body with the upper portion of the body disposed above the liquid, while maintaining in the upper portion of the body a sufficient mass of decanted solids to cause the weight of the latter to act on the settled solids and express liquids therefrom, due to the resistance and angle of repose of the solids, and substantially continuously removing solids from the upper portion of said body.

8. A device including a settling compartment, a scoop element therein having a bottom and side walls, and the bottom wall being inclined at an angle to the horizontal, means for substantially continuously operatively moving said scoop element along a mass of settled solids in the compartment so as to cause said solids to ccmpressively move upward along the scoop element, and means to substantially constantly maintain a liquid level in the compartment below rial to be decanted, said inletimeans being pro-- mea 9.. Decantation. apparatus including a settling? compartment having a; liquid level, and means constituting an upward-1y. inclined path for -sup porting decanted solids. fer. upward, movement.

therealong, including. movahlegmeansconfined to a loweimend portion of saidpathior continuously compressively addingsettled solidsatthe lower endfpor'tionof .said pathbelom the liquid. level: for propelling thedecanted solids.up ward,along said path andahove theliquid. level, and so that.

the weight oflthe solidsalong, saidpath causes a substantial, expression of. liquids therefrom.

1o. Decantation apparatusincluding. asettling compartment havinga liquid level, and means there-in having relative movement .therewithand including a wall 1 afiording, an .inclined ,path for the movement of a. continuous-body of solid par,- ticles therealong, saidmeans having..a7 portion confined to a lower. end of the. path.below the liquid. level for engaging and. forcing. settled solids to move upward-along said .pathto apoint.

above the liquid, level, the. inclination, of. said path being such that the solid (particles exert a pressure on each otheralong the. path...

11. Decant-ation apparatusincludinge settling. compartment having a liquidlevel, and a unitary.

means t erein having an inclined unobstructed wall for the movement of decantedsolidsthere:

along. said compartment and said imitary means being rotatably movable relatively to each. other, and the latter including means for continuously compressively adding settled solids to ,the wallet. a lower portion thereof below the liquid level so.

as to.,force the decanted solids upward along the wall to a point above the liquid level, and the inclination of the latter being suflicient to cause the decantedsolids on said well to exert a compressive force on the 'settledsolids received by.

said wall, soas to cause expression of liquids from the settled solids.

l2. Decantation apparatus including, in combinationwith a settling compartment, of a scoop therein coordinated for relative movement with means thelevel.of the upper-portion of ysaidrscoopelethe compartment, the scoopbeing generally in-- clined at an angle withrthe horizontalless than thelangleofi-reposewhereby the solids are caused to travel up and .alongthe scoop, receiving means in, proximity to. and extending substantially aroundthaupper end of the scoop for receivingsettled; solids'discharged thereon from the scoop,

the-receiving ;means being in relatively fixed relation to the scoop, and means forautomatically reinoving solids from the receiving means, during the relative movement between the scoop and the compartment.

13. Decantation apparatus including in combination :withasettling compartment, of a scoop therein coordinatedwith the compartment for relativefrotary movement therebetween, about a substantially vertical axis, the scoopbeing at an.

angle with. the 1 horizontal approximately equal to the angle of repose ofthe solids, means where- I relative movement therebetween alongav fixed path, the angle of inclination of said scoop relative to a horizontal plane being such that solids are caused to move up and along the scoop to an upper portion thereof and to be compressed'to expel liquids therefrom due to the resistance and angle of repose. of the solids and the angle of the. scoop, the upper portion of said scoop. being above theliquid level, means for removing the 1 solids from the upper portion of the scoop toward one side thereof, said upper portion of the scoop being downward inclined toward the opposite side thereof for drainage of liquids, and including a.

retaining element for the solids on the upper scoop. portion, located at the last mentionedside, and said retaining element being open at the ends of the upper scoop portion.

JOHN ZOLLINGER. 

